Q. I am a 62-year-old woman who has been having shoulder pain for about a year. My shoulder motion has gradually become more limited. I have trouble reaching overhead and putting on my bra.

After researching my symptoms on the internet, I think I have a frozen shoulder. My discomfort keeps worsening and I wonder what treatment would help.

A. A frozen shoulder is a condition that may begin after an injury but more commonly presents with a gradual onset. It may be associated with shoulder tendinitis.

The shoulder becomes painful and you stop moving it at the extremes of motion. Scar tissue develops, which further limits your motion and a cycle begins with increasing pain and further loss of motion.